


Bonds

by gentledusk, littleliontree (gentledusk)



Series: Meyer is oblivious and needs to get a clue [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 17:02:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3904042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gentledusk/pseuds/gentledusk, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gentledusk/pseuds/littleliontree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’s not used to getting thanked for his costumed exploits. At least, not like this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> Despite what the summary may or may not imply, this fic does not contain Augustine Sycamore thanking Meyer sexily like the thirsty tree he is. Alas.
> 
> I named Meyer's Blaziken "Tarocco" because Tarocco is a variety of blood orange. A citrus-y name for a member of the citrus family. Sycamore's Garchomp is named "Miss Gobble" because... I saw it somewhere and thought it was cute?

“Meyer? Are you there?” a familiar voice calls from the entrance of the shop, bells jingling as the door swings open.

“Oh, hello, Professor Sycamore,” Meyer replies, looking up from the photocopier he’d been working on and getting to his feet. “Does something at the lab need fixing again? Or,” he adds, catching sight of the Garchomp following the professor inside, “are you here to do some research?”

Professor Sycamore smiles and shakes his head. “Neither of those, actually, though Mega Evolution _is_ part of the reason why I’m here. Would you mind letting Blaziken out, by the way? I’d like both of you to hear what I’m about to say.”

Genuinely curious now, Meyer heads over to the front of the shop, flipping the OPEN sign on the door around to CLOSED and closing the blinds (he does have a secret identity to maintain, after all). He goes back to where Professor Sycamore is waiting before tossing Tarocco’s Poké ball into the air. His trusted companion doesn’t look at all surprised to see Professor Sycamore in the shop, and nods a greeting to both of their visitors.

“Do you have your Keystone with you?”

“Always,” Meyer replies with a snort, holding it up for him to see. Even in the artificial lighting of the shop’s fluorescent bulbs, the stone outshines even the most precious of gems. He turns to face Tarocco, about to begin the process of Mega Evolution, but a gentle hand on his wrist stops him.

“That’s not what I came here for, though if you were going to anyway, by all means. I came here to thank you both. _We_ came here to thank you both,” Professor Sycamore amends, patting Miss Gobble on the shoulder. She rumbles in agreement. “For helping us before. Without you… I don’t even want to think about what harm could have come to Miss Gobble and to others had those villains retained their control over her. So, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.”

Meyer is taken aback (though he probably shouldn’t be, all things considered), but he tries not to let it show too much. He’s not sure he’s very successful. Already, he can feel the beginning of a sheepish grin starting to form on his face, one hand waving from side to side in front of him. “Ah… no need to thank me,” he says, other hand rubbing at the back of his neck. He’s not used to people personally thanking him for his exploits as Blaziken Mask, that must be why he’s feeling so… awkward. “You were the one who managed to Mega Evolve Miss Gobble. It was your trust in each other—the bond that you share—that managed to overcome their influence.”

A fond look sweeps over Professor Sycamore’s face as he glances over to Miss Gobble and Tarocco, who seem to be engaged in some sort of friendly conversation. When he turns his head to look Meyer in the eye again, though, the sheer intensity in his gaze feels like it’s pinning him in place, eyes wide with earnestness. “But it was you who lent me the Keystone that allowed us to achieve Mega Evolution in the first place. I never thought that I’d be capable of achieving Mega Evolution, even though it’s something I’ve always dreamed about—and now I have, thanks to you. I was under the impression that Keystones are very precious to their owners, a symbol of the bond between trainer and Pokémon. Am I wrong?”

“N-No,” Meyer stammers. He’s not sure why he’s so suddenly tongue-tied. He can see Tarocco shooting him a _look_ out of the corner of his eye, and resists the urge to make a face at his partner. Tarocco has been giving him a lot of those looks lately, especially when Professor Sycamore is around. He still hasn’t figured out exactly what it is that his partner’s trying to tell him.

A hint of a smile tugs at the corners of Professor Sycamore’s lips. “And despite all that, you let me use it. For a little while, you allowed it to become a manifestation of the bond between me and Miss Gobble as well.” He laughs, shoving both hands inside his pockets. “Am I making sense here? I just… wanted to let you—both of you—know how grateful I— _we_ —are that you chose to share something so precious with us.”

Meyer can feel his cheeks growing warm despite himself in the face of Professor Sycamore’s sincere gratitude and unwavering gaze. He tugs his hat lower in a futile attempt to hide his face, eyes flicking over to where Tarocco is giving him another _look_ again instead of meeting that uncomfortably honest stare any longer. He almost wishes he were in costume, if only so he’d have his mask to hide behind. “Well, I—both of you were in trouble, and I—of course I wasn’t just going to leave you hanging out to dry. You needed the Keystone more than we did at the moment, so it only made sense to lend it to you. What kind of 'hero' would I be if I didn’t try to help?” He lets out a long breath, one hand scratching at the back of his head. “It’s just… yes, the Keystone is important to me. But so are the bonds I have with others. If I can’t use it to protect those I care about when they need protecting, and to protect what’s precious to them as well, then what’s the point of having a power like Mega Evolution at all?”

Tarocco lets out a cry of agreement, wrists flaring briefly as he pumps a fist into the air. Meyer wishes he could be as confident as his partner seems to be at the moment. As it is now, he can’t even manage to look the person who’s thanking him in the eye.

Professor Sycamore is silent for a while, long enough that Meyer decides _to hell with his nerves_ and finally screws up the courage to look at his face again. What he finds there is a furrowed brow and searching grey eyes boring into his own, as if Professor Sycamore is trying to see into his very soul. He swallows, hard, squares his shoulders, and reminds himself that superheroes never back down. (Unless, of course, they’re forced to by blackmail or something, or it’s a strategic retreat, or, or… that’s not the point here! He’s not quite sure what the point is, exactly, but that isn’t it!)

“Remarkable,” Professor Sycamore murmurs, just when Meyer is about to ask if he’s said something strange. “Truly remarkable.” Then he smiles and holds out a hand to Meyer. “I look forward to working with you, my friend.”

“As do I,” Meyer replies, taking the offered hand and shaking it. He studiously ignores the fact that his palms are sweaty and that he’s probably gripping the professor’s hand just a little too hard. “I mean, I look forward to working with you too, Professor.”

“Just ‘Augustine’ is fine, as I’ve said before,” Professor Sycamore—Augustine—says, giving his hand one last squeeze before letting go. “We _are_ going to be working together now, after all.”

The warmth of his hand lingers even when he leaves with a cheerful little wave and Miss Gobble ambling along behind him. Meyer waves back feebly as the bells jingle and the door slams shut behind them, staring absently at the shop entrance until he notices Tarocco levelling him with a thoroughly unimpressed stare.

“… What?” he asks, crossing his arms, but Tarocco only makes a sound like a snort in response. “You’ve been giving me a lot of those looks lately. What’s that all about?”

Tarocco just gives him the same flat stare, apparently unwilling to elaborate on whatever’s been causing his recent attitude. Meyer throws up his hands with a sigh and turns back to the photocopier he’s supposed to be fixing. If his partner wants to be sassy right now, so be it. He’ll figure out what’s been causing those looks.

… Eventually.


End file.
